[Athen] [ATHEN] Information on E-Text Production Database?

[Wink Harner]

Have any of you tried Google docs for handling this type of file management
across multiple offices/sites?

Wink


>-- Original Message --

>From: "Ron Stewart" <ron at ahead.org>

>To: "'Access Technologists in Higher Education Network'" <athen at athenpro.org>

>Date: Sat, 16 Aug 2008 13:45:47 -0400

>Subject: Re: [Athen] [ATHEN] Information on E-Text Production Database?

>Reply-To: Access Technologists in Higher Education Network <athen at athenpro.org>

>

>

>Thanks George, I have been having similar thoughts as we move the

>postsecondary efforts forward.

>

> 

>

>Ron

>

> 

>

>From: athen-bounces at athenpro.org [mailto:athen-bounces at athenpro.org] On

>Behalf Of George Kerscher

>Sent: Saturday, August 16, 2008 12:30 PM

>To: 'Access Technologists in Higher Education Network'

>Subject: Re: [Athen] Information on E-Text Production Database?

>

> 

>

>Ron,

>

> 

>

>You might want to post a message on the DAISY technical Development list

>about this. I recall that some of the larger organizations have developed

>systems, which I think are open and sharable. It seems that it might be

>worth the time to identify the requirements and look into developing a

>scaleable system that could be used in the smaller DSS offices all the way

>up to the large ones. Starting with pulling in database records on the

>title, probably by ISBN, so you don't need to hand enter all that data,

>assign to a particular type of production, tracking time, status, etc.

>

> 

>

> 

>

>Just my $.02

>

> 

>

>Best

>

>George

>

> 

>

> 

>

>From: athen-bounces at athenpro.org [mailto:athen-bounces at athenpro.org] On

>Behalf Of Ron Stewart

>Sent: Friday, August 15, 2008 9:11 AM

>To: 'Access Technologists in Higher Education Network'

>Subject: Re: [Athen] Information on E-Text Production Database?

>

> 

>

>We all come at this from a little different perspective, 

>

> 

>

>>From my experience when you exceed about 50k pages per academic period

I

>don't think excel can continue to give you the level of detail and data

>collection your administration is going to require if they take a look at

>your resource expenditure.  A more sophisticated system will also provide

>you with a good tracking system for your entire program from book tracking,

>Copywrite oversight and tracking your workers.   Gaeir and I discuss this

>in

>some depth in our "Advanced" Etext Institute which will also be offered

at

>AHG in November as well as other times during the coming year.  I am looking

>at model systems to add to the AHEAD resource site as well.

>

> 

>

>Perhaps a move to Access, as we did initially at OSU will take you to the

>next level but eventually I think a real database is going to be needed.

>MySQL served us well after some fits and starts for several years and

>provided not only alt format, but captioning and AT tracking as well across

>a large system.  SharePoint is great if you can afford it.  AMAC as Bob

>mentioned has one of the most sophisticated systems I have seen and while

>it

>may be overkill for a lot I think it is worth taking a look at along with

>the system the CSU-CAM has developed.  

>

> 

>

>What you want to avoid at all costs is having to go back and reinvent the

>wheel several times as your program grows and develops.  Also as more

>regional centers and consortia develop having a system that is easily

>integrated into the larger systems already in place is going to save a lot

>of us a lot of headaches down the road.  

>

> 

>

>Lessons learned the hard way, or from someone else's trials and tribulations

>are the best lessons, or as Einstein so apply put:

>

> 

>

>Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different

>results. 

>

>Ron Stewart 

>

> 

>

>From: athen-bounces at athenpro.org [mailto:athen-bounces at athenpro.org] On

>Behalf Of Kelmer, Susan M.

>Sent: Friday, August 15, 2008 9:28 AM

>To: Access Technologists in Higher Education Network

>Subject: Re: [Athen] Information on E-Text Production Database?

>

> 

>

>The AMX system will work for that, but it is cumbersome as well, as you

have

>to enter all the data.  I think no matter what you come up with, you are

>going to have a cumbersome system.

>

> 

>

>I am keeping simple records in an excel database, it seems to work for us.

>My conversion clerks write down how much time they spend on each particular

>aspect (scanning, ocr, text-cleanup) to the nearest 15-minutes.  It gives

>me

>a pretty good read on how long it takes to convert things, although I don't

>really care as much about the little parts as I do the big picture.  Our

>goal here is a 4-day turnaround, and if we make it within four days I'm

>happy, five days I'm satisfied, any more than that and I'm looking to see

>where we can improve.

>

> 

>

>I will be presenting a lot of the information on how we do this here at

the

>Accessing Higher Ground conference in Boulder in November.  Hope you can

>make it, it will be a worthwhile lecture.

>

> 

>

>Susan Kelmer

>

>Adaptive Technology Specialist/

>

>Lab Coordinator, Campus Labs and Classrooms

>

>St. Louis Community College - Meramec

>

>314-984-7951

>

> 

>

>From: athen-bounces at athenpro.org [mailto:athen-bounces at athenpro.org] On

>Behalf Of Balen, Tim

>Sent: Thursday, August 14, 2008 8:33 PM

>To: athen at athenpro.org

>Subject: [Athen] Information on E-Text Production Database?

>

> 

>

>Colleagues,

>

> 

>

>I'm looking for advice or suggestions on creating a database for tracking

>e-text production.  We are working on one now within our office, but I am

>concerned it is becoming cumbersome and labor intensive.  Essentially we

>are

>looking to record and store, completed text conversions, conversions in

>progress, time spent per conversion & per editor.  Any information would

>be

>appreciated on or off the list.

>

> 

>

>Thank You!

>

> 

>

>Tim Balen

>

> 

>

>Washington State University

>

>509-335-7904

>

>www.drc.wsu.edu

>

> 

>

>_______________________________________________

>Athen mailing list

>Athen at athenpro.org

>http://athenpro.org/mailman/listinfo/athen_athenpro.org


Ms. Wink Harner
Manager
Disability Resources & Services
Mesa Community College
Mesa AZ

480-461-7447